EXPLANATORY MODELS OF MENTAL-ILLNESS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
EXPLANATORY MODELS OF MENTAL-ILLNESS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
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DOI：
10.1016/0277-9536(94)00231-h
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发表时间：
1995-05-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
PATEL, V
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
PATEL, V
疾病解释模型的知识可用于进行跨文化流行病学研究，这些研究虽然具有文化敏感性，但也与其他研究具有可比性。本文回顾了撒哈拉以南非洲的研究，这些研究检查了与精神疾病有关的信念。信仰有丰富的多样性，但在这种多样性中有许多共同的概念。因此，许多非洲文化确实区分了精神和身体。心灵被认为既存在于心脏或腹部区域，也存在于头部。精神原因是精神疾病的常见解释。虽然精神疾病的生物医学概念有一些相似之处，但也有显著的差异。精神病通常被认为是“疯狂”，尽管强调的是行为症状而不是妄想；神经质的表现更加多样，通常是身体上的定义，可能根本不被认为是精神疾病。如果未来的跨文化精神病学研究既要具有可比性又要在文化上有效，就需要开发精神病学仪器。
Knowledge of explanatory models of illness can be used to conduct cross-cultural epidemiological studies which, while being culturally sensitive, are also comparable with other studies. This paper reviews studies from sub-Saharan African which examine beliefs relating to mental illness. There is a rich diversity of beliefs, but within this diversity are a number of shared concepts. Thus, many African cultures do distinguish between the mind and body. The mind is cited as residing in the head as well as the heart or abdominal region. Spiritual causes are frequent explanations for mental illness. Though there are some similarities with biomedical concepts of mental illness, there are also significant variations. Psychotic illness is often recognized as 'madness' though emphasis is on behavioural symptoms rather than delusions; neurotic presentations are much more varied, often somatically defined and may not be considered to be mental illnesses at all. Emic psychiatric instruments need to be developed if future cross-cultural psychiatric research is to be both comparable and culturally valid.